Young Dutch Stars Secure U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Division 2 Europe Qualifier with Thrilling Win Over Sweden


Hosts Denmark Overcome Italy to Claim Final Spot in Next Year’s U19 Europe Qualifier on the Road to Zimbabwe and Namibia

The Netherlands emerged victorious in a tense showdown against Sweden on Tuesday, clinching the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2026 Europe Division 2 Qualifier after an intense week of competition in Denmark.

Chasing a modest target of 87 runs, the Dutch side achieved victory with four wickets to spare, securing their place in next year’s U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Europe Qualifier as Division 2 champions.

Shirsak Banerjee, who was later named Man of the Tournament, and Azzam Khan played pivotal roles in the win at Brondby, each taking three wickets to restrict Sweden to a low total. Despite a shaky start, with the Netherlands falling to 50 for five at one point, Aadit Jain and Mark Wolfe held their nerve to guide their team to victory, sparking celebrations.


Both finalists had delivered impressive performances throughout the competition and had already secured their progression to the next qualification stage by winning their respective semi-finals on Sunday.

Following the victory, Netherlands captain Cedric de Lange expressed his satisfaction, saying: "We are very pleased to win this Division 2 qualifier and ultimately qualify for the Europe Qualifier in 2025. With another year of learning and development under our belt, we hope to compete for the Europe Qualifier title and earn our spot at the U19 World Cup."

Sweden captain Bilal Khattak shared his team's pride in their achievement: "We are honored to have participated in this competition and are very pleased to have qualified for the next stage in 2nd place. We would like to thank the ICC and Danish cricket for organizing this tournament so well and appreciate the professionalism of all ICC officials, which allowed us to compete in an international standard tournament. We are excited to test ourselves in next year’s Europe Qualifier."

Meanwhile, Denmark secured the third qualification spot with a decisive victory over Italy in Glostrup, winning by 85 runs. The win was highlighted by standout bowling performances from Jabran Khan, who took four wickets for seven runs, and Muhammad Iyas Zawar, who claimed three wickets for four runs.


Denmark captain Mustakim Aslam reflected on the week: "It was a great week for personal development and for the team. We bonded much more as a unit, and that showed in our game. We had a great experience and are now looking forward to playing in next year’s Europe Qualifier. We’ve worked hard for this, and in the end, it all paid off."

The three teams now set their sights on the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup Europe Qualifier next year, where they will compete against Guernsey, Jersey, and Scotland for the coveted spots in Zimbabwe and Namibia.